Paris Olympics: Carlos Alcaraz Ready to Sacrifice Wimbledon Crown to Give Rafael Nadal the Perfect Farewell

Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his historic French Open win with a mix of relaxation and reflection. After the emotional victory, the young Spaniard returned to Roland Garros on Monday for a photo shoot with the coveted Coupe des Mousquetaires. Before going into a well-deserved short break, Alcaraz dedicated nearly half an hour to the Spanish press. While he was on cloud nine with his first Roland Garros win, the World No. 2 stayed humble to his Spanish roots, which also seems to be a tribute to his idol Rafael Nadal.

After returning from his short break, Carlos Alcaraz will start practicing on grass court for the upcoming Queen’s Club (June 17 to 23) and Wimbledon (July 1 to 14). Both the tournaments, where Alcaraz is a defending champion, will raise their curtains very close to the Paris Olympics. Naturally, he was asked about his priority among the two. The young gun chose the Olympics.

“The Olympic Games are every four years and it’s a special tournament where you’re not only playing for yourself, but for a country, representing every Spaniard. I think this year I’d choose Olympic gold,” he said in an interview with the ATP Tour on June 10. But is that the only reason for which he can even compromise with back-to-back Grand Slam triumphs? Probably not.

Fresh off his victory, he expressed his excitement for a return to Paris just a few weeks later for the Olympics. There, he’ll fulfill a dream of a different kind: teaming up with his idol, Rafael Nadal, for a shot at doubles gold.

“When I return to this stadium at the end of July, I will probably have some cool flashbacks that will come to mind,” he told L’Équipe. “It will be a very special tournament, my first Olympics just after winning my first Roland. Fighting for a gold medal for my country, playing doubles with my idol, Rafael Nadal, are things that I will only believe after experiencing them.”

Despite their inexperience as a team, the buzz surrounding the Alcaraz-Nadal Olympic doubles partnership is undeniable. Alcaraz, with minimal doubles experience, will be stepping outside his comfort zone. However, Nadal’s enthusiasm for the pairing is contagious, and their combined talent on the court holds immense potential.

“It’s also hugely exciting for me,” Nadal said. “If I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard it is for him too. I think if we’re both fit enough, why not? We could have the chance to form a great team and aspire to great things. It’d be good for both of us. I think it’d also be good for the Spanish team, so we’ll see how things progress.” As both Nadal and Alcaraz are excited about the tie-up, the latter had set this priority clear even before he started his season back in February.

At a press conference, he faced a difficult question: Roland Garros or the Olympics? The then 20-year-old returned his reply with relative ease. “I would say the Olympic title. It’s a dream for me to bring gold home to my country Spain. The gold medal is one of the greatest things in sport. I mean, I’d prefer to win Olympic gold this year… even though I’d like to win both, I won’t lie,” he had said. And how well he kept his words!

Carlos Alcaraz’s hard-fought victory earns a note of appreciation from the idol

The French Open this year saw a torch being passed. While a young Carlos Alcaraz idolizes the legendary Rafael Nadal, it was Alcaraz himself who ultimately emerged victorious. After a surprising upset saw Zverev knock Nadal out of the tournament in the first round (6-3 7-6(5) 6-3), many fans, including likely Alcaraz himself, felt a sense of injustice. However, in a thrilling final, Alcaraz managed to defeat Zverev Claiming his first French Open title. With that, he not only entered the league of all-court winners, but perhaps also fulfilled a bit of unspoken revenge for his fallen idol.

Alcaraz’s recent victory at Roland Garros saw him secure a massive five-setter victory over Germany’s fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev ((6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2). “Last year I clearly failed that exam, but this time we’d done our homework,” declared the Spaniard. “This year I managed to do much better. I think I passed the exam, but not with flying colors. It’s something I have to keep improving and as the years go by, I’ll feel even better,” the World No. 2 exclaimed.

In a massive 4-hour and 19-minute match, the 21-year-old came back from two sets to one down. The winning moment was sealed when third-seeded Alcaraz delivered a forehand cross-court on championship point. The German only managed to return it to the nets, thereby giving away the match.

The joy of Carlos Alcaraz’s French Open triumph wasn’t a solitary celebration. One of the first to shower him with congratulations, as befitting a true champion, was none other than the legendary Rafael Nadal, a fellow Spaniard and Alcaraz’s idol. “Congratulations @carlosalcaraz for this immense victory!!!! Big!!!! Very happy for your successes!!! #Let’s go”, the legend added in a post on X. Alcaraz is indeed hungry for more such “big” accolades.

“It makes no difference to me if it’s Roland Garros, Australia or any other Grand Slam. It makes me very excited to win one. I don’t feel like I have to win it, that I have that thorn in me, but it’s a dream to win one,” Alcaraz had said in an interview in February. In the coming days, the Spaniard will have to continuously shift his focus from clay to grass. But with that winning mindset and his idol by his side, it remains to be seen how their individual strengths will translate into doubles success in the Olympic arena.